California lawmakers vote for earlier primary elections

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) -- California may hold its presidential primary elections three months earlier after lawmakers passed bills Thursday to increase the influence of the nation's most populous and diverse state.

Supporters of the bills say the state's June primary doesn't give California voters enough say in who becomes president because it occurs so late on the calendar. The state's 2016 primary occurred after Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton had already become the presumptive nominees for Republican and Democratic parties.

An earlier primary would give Californians greater influence in the nomination decisions, said Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, who authored the Assembly bill.

"California has largely been a non-factor when it comes to selecting candidates," the San Francisco-area Democrat said. "AB84 will enable more Californians to be politically relevant in presidential election cycles."

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